LETTER: Don't force me to leave New York

I run varsity cross country and track for Onteora High School, where I'm a junior. This fall I'm honored that the Freeman has covered my championship win at the Mid-Hudson Athletic League, my third-place finish at States, and has twice declared me Female Athlete of the Week!

Advertisement

As a runner, the certainty of air pollution makes me greatly concerned that Gov. Cuomo will allow fracking in New York.

I read up on some of the science relating to air pollution for a comment I recently submitted to the Department of Environmental Conservation on draft fracking regulation. I submitted a comment as part of a "30 Comments in 30 Days" initiative by renowned environmental health expert, Dr. Sandra Steingraber.

Under a clause called "operational requirements," gas companies are essentially able to release gases whenever they think it is necessary, or perhaps convenient. Although the DEC does not know for certain what gases can escape, scientists have a fair idea. The gas contains a variety of vaporous hydrocarbons, including butane, ethane, benzene, toluene, xylene and others.

Of these, benzene is a known carcinogen. Evidence suggests the same is true for toluene and xylene.

To make matters worse, ground-level ozone is created when these volatile chemicals combine with tailpipe exhaust. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is linked to negative lung effects, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure.

Few places have more tailpipe exhaust than fracking sites. The DEC estimates that each fracking well requires 6,790 industrial truck trips. Most of those trips come from diesel trucks. This summer, the World Health Organization declared that diesel fumes cause cancer, more so than secondhand cigarette smoke.

This leads me back to my question, which is directed at Gov. Cuomo: Will I have a future in New York?

Next fall I will apply to colleges, where I intend to run competitively. In fact, I've already been approached by more than a dozen New York colleges as an athlete, including SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo and Cornell University.

I don't want to be forced to leave New York, and my family who lives here, but I cannot run with a carcinogenic cocktail filling my lungs and coursing through my blood with each breath I take.